aaamusic | On 13, Aug 2011

CRAZY ARM

New album: ‘Union City Breath’. Release date: 10th October 2011
New single: ‘Tribes’ b/w ‘Help For Heroines’. Release date: 15th August 2011
Single formats: 7″ vinyl and digital download
Album formats: CD, digital download, 12″ vinyl
Labels: Xtra Mile Recordings (UK & rest of the world), Gunner Records (mainland Europe)

UK Album tour: 23rd September – 10th October
Tour with Against Me!: 2nd November – 28th November

Devon roots-punks, Crazy Arm, release their new single, ‘Tribes’, in August: the first release ahead of their imminent new album, ‘Union City Breath’. A highlight of this live favourite, it is a song of two distinct parts, combining the band’s love of Springsteen, gospel and honest punk rock. The lyrics are an indictment of man-made structures of violence and a call for a return to simpler, more ethically-centred ways of interacting. Also on the record: the voice of Victoria Butterfield (who sang on the band’s last single ‘Sweet Storm’) and keys courtesy Patrick James Pearson. The single will coincide with the band’s debut acoustic tour in August with Cory Branan and Sam Russo in August.

The follow-up to 2009’s dramatic debut, ‘Born To Ruin’ (“Stunning” KKKK Kerrang), ‘Union City Breath’ was produced/engineered once again by Peter Miles (King Blues, The Computers, Sonic Boom Six) at his new studio in the South Devon countryside. Taking its cue from the spurious idea of the Big Society, ‘Union City Breath’ is a reminder that all societies are made by people and can be changed or at least challenged by people whenever they see fit. The band will be touring the album throughout the UK in September, and are the main support to Against Me! on their European/UK tour in November.

Crazy Arm set up camp in mid-2006. Not easy to categorise, and all the better for it, their sound is an accumulation of decades of influence and inspiration: rooted in hardcore/punk, ’60s protest folk/country and classic rock’n’roll, combined with a grass-roots political overview that embraces anti-war, anti-fascist and pro-community activism.

They have toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe many times, sharing stages with the likes of Frank Turner, Chuck Ragan, The Xcerts, Bangers, Apologies I Have None, The Cut Ups, Two Cow Garage and Sonic Boom Six; and have made appearances at festivals including 2000 Trees, NASS, Leopallooza, Boardmasters, Reading and Leeds.

Full tracklisting for ‘Union City Breath’:
1. Of The Tarantulas
2. Bandalito
3. Tribes
4. The Right Wing Never Sleeps
5. The Endless Carriage
6. Little Boats
7. Song Of Choice
8. 200 Pints Of Blood
9. Meet The Marines
10. Southway Drive
11. City & Western
12. Charnel House Blues
13. White Canyon

Full tour dates:
AUGUST
12th – Boardmasters Festival, Newquay (with Bangers + King Blues + more)
14th – Tiger Lounge, Manchester (with Apologies + Cory Branan + Russo)
15th – Duke Of Wellington, Lincoln (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
16th – Royal Park Cellars, Leeds (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
17th – The Maze, Nottingham (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
18th – Edge Of The Wedge, Portsmouth (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
19th – Windmill, London (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
20th – Prince Albert, Brighton (with Cory Branan + Sam Russo)
SEPTEMBER
9th – Ivylive Festival, Ivybridge
11th – Plymouth Punks Picnic, Nowhere Inn
23rd – White Rabbit, Plymouth (with Damerels + more)
27th – Corporation, Sheffield
28th – Karma Café, Norwich (tbc)
29th – Barfly, London (with Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)
30th – Unit, Southampton (tbc)
OCTOBER
1st – Cambridge
2nd – Duke Of Wellington, Lincoln (with Above Them)
3rd – The Cluny, Newcastle (with Above Them)
4th – Stereo, Glasgow
5th – Central Station, Wrexham
6th – Fibbers, York
7th – West End Centre, Aldershot
10th – Croft, Bristol (with RVIVR)
22nd – White Rabbit, Plymouth (with Capdown)
NOVEMBER
2nd – Prince Albert, Brighton
WITH AGAINST ME!
3rd – La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
4th – Ex-Haus, Trier, Germany
5th – JC De Klinker, Aarschot, Belgium
6th – Dusseldorf, Germany
7th – Abart, Zurich, Switzerland
9th – Wuk, Vienna, Austria
10th – Rock House, Salzburg, Austria
12th – Den Haag, Netherlands (headline show)
13th – O13, Tilburg, Netherlands
14th – Faust, Hannover, Germany
15th – Knust, Hamburg, Germany
16th – Skaters Palace, Munster, Germany
17th – De Onderbroek, Nijmegen, Netherlands (headline show)
18th – Cockpit, Leeds
19th – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
20th – Talking Heads, Southampton
21st – Arts Centre, Norwich
24th – Cavern, Exeter (with Living Daylights)
28th – Peel, Kingston